High performance sustainable schools are designed to help schools meet their energy needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. Sustainable school design includes efficient lighting and mechanical systems, environmentally friendly building materials, water conservation, and use of sunlight. The buildings are positioned to maximize solar use.
Guiding Questions:
What is sustainability?
Why is sustainability important?
Who can be affected by sustainability?
Is it worth the cost?
What can you do?
What is a carbon footprint?
Guiding Activities:
Learn about sustainability
Students will do research and present a report on sustainability.
Design Sustainable School
Students will work in groups to create a sustainable school design. The group will draw a floor plan of the new design, render 3D drawings of three classrooms, create a scale model of a classroom or common area of the new school. Finally, the group will present their design to rest of the class.
Create a Podcast
Each group will create a podcast that demonstrates their school design.
Interactive courses on this site are offered free of charge as a public benefit for design and engineering professionals specializing in sustainable design for K-12 schools. High performance school design integrates daylighting, indoor air quality, and energy efficiency to build a school that runs efficiently, saves money, protects natural resources, and provides superior visual, acoustical, and thermal comfort.View Link
Take a Virtual Tour
Follow the link to take a virtual tour of a sustainable school.
Sustainable School Challenge
Essential Question:
How can MDTC become a sustainable school.Introduction:
High performance sustainable schools are designed to help schools meet their energy needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. Sustainable school design includes efficient lighting and mechanical systems, environmentally friendly building materials, water conservation, and use of sunlight. The buildings are positioned to maximize solar use.Guiding Questions:
What is sustainability?Why is sustainability important?
Who can be affected by sustainability?
Is it worth the cost?
What can you do?
What is a carbon footprint?
Guiding Activities:
Students will do research and present a report on sustainability.Learn about sustainability
Students will work in groups to create a sustainable school design. The group will draw a floor plan of the new design, render 3D drawings of three classrooms, create a scale model of a classroom or common area of the new school. Finally, the group will present their design to rest of the class.Design Sustainable School
Each group will create a podcast that demonstrates their school design.Create a Podcast
Guiding Resources:
Watch the first episode of Architecture School
Link to Architecture School video clips.
Online Training for Sustainable School Design
Interactive courses on this site are offered free of charge as a public benefit for design and engineering professionals specializing in sustainable design for K-12 schools. High performance school design integrates daylighting, indoor air quality, and energy efficiency to build a school that runs efficiently, saves money, protects natural resources, and provides superior visual, acoustical, and thermal comfort. View LinkTake a Virtual Tour
Follow the link to take a virtual tour of a sustainable school.